This is a mulitculuturalism book. About a little african american girl raised in a "ghetto-like" area. She learns about the word "beautiful," and is on a mission to "find something beautiful." Asks people in her town if they have something beautiful. Each person she asks has something little they find beautiful. Demonstrates appreciation for small things. She asks her mom what her "something beautiful" is and it's the little girl.

"Something Beautiful" is about a young girl in an urban area that feels like she has nothing beautiful in her life. I found the illustrations played a large role in this story. In the illustrations, the reader can see the trash surrounding her neighborhood, "die" written on her old wooden door, and the sad look on her face as she steps outside. All of this helps the reader capture the run down and dirty neighborhood and understand why this young girl can't find beauty in any of it. Also, I thought the story touched on tough issues like living in poverty and urban communities. It allows readers who have experienced this to connect deeply to the young girl's feelings, yet opens the readers eyes to what is beautiful even in this life. For example, the children around her find beauty in a jump rope, Mr. Lee finds beauty in his fruit store, and her mom finds beauty in her. The big idea is expressed as this young girl begins to find beauty around her and within her. Overall, the big idea is finding beauty in yourself and your life. Also, the young girl demonstrates hope as she washes "die" off her door and plans to plant flowers in her yard. ( )

Summary:Something Beautiful is a story about a young girl who lives in a low socio-economic status neighborhood. She takes you on a journey through her neighborhood on her walk to school. Along the way she is constantly looking, and asking others, to find something that is beautiful. By the end of the story the little girl is able to understand that she can do her own part in making her home and neighborhood into something beautiful.

Review:Great book that helps to illustrate the ideas that are processed through children's minds. This book is a great choice to use to introduce children into diversity and multicultural living. ( )

This picture book is very moving and inspirational for children between the ages of 5-7. It presents the ability of human beings to find something beautiful even in less ideal circumstances. This book will help children understand how to overcome adversity in order to reach a certain level of happiness. This is a nonfiction story.

I think this is a very powerful story. “Something Beautiful” is a realistic fiction picture book for readers in the 1st-3rd grade. I really liked this story because of the powerful message behind it, the beautiful illustrations, and the story line that could be relatable to so many students. This story depicts a girl living in a poor neighborhood, where crime and poverty are present. For example, outside her window is broken glass and her front door is spray painted with the word, “die”. She sees a homeless lady that lives on her street, and dangerous dark streets she tries to avoid. I have not seen many books that accurately depict some of the neighborhoods some of the students in a classroom might live in and the danger they sometimes are exposed to. Especially when teaching in Baltimore where there is a high amount of poverty, there is definitely a chance where the students may very well relate to this character’s living situation. It is not happy or pleasant, but it is some people’s reality. What I loved about this book is that it does talk about the bad, but it also has a great central message of finding the good in the bad, or the beautiful in the ugly. The beautiful painted illustrations, the urban perspective, and the positive central message, I think this is a great read for young readers. ( )

Wikipedia in English

A little girl longs to see beyond the scary sights on the sidewalk and the angry scribbling in the halls of her building. When her teacher writes the word beautiful on the blackboard, the girl decides to look for something beautiful in her neighborhood. Her neighbors tell her about their own beautiful things. Miss Delphine serves her a “beautiful” fried fish sandwich at her diner. At Mr. Lee’s “beautiful” fruit store, he offers her an apple. Old Mr. Sims invites her to touch a smooth stone he always carries. Beautiful means “something that when you have it, your heart is happy,” the girl thinks. Her search for “something beautiful” leaves her feeling much happier. She has experienced the beauty of friendship and the power of hope.